TEMPLE UNIVERSITY STUDIO, SYMPHONY AND JAZZ ORCHESTRAS RETURN TO LINCOLN CENTER

José Luis Domínguez and Terell Stafford, Directors

An eclectic program of American music anchored by two compositions complemented by photography

World Premiere of TWO FIVE O, Reflections 
by John Clayton

Ansel Adams' America
by Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck

Music by Bernstein, Gershwin, Johnny Hodges and more

Sunday, October 11 at 7:30 pm
Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
Tickets

New York, NY: September 30, 2026 – The Temple University (TU) Studio, Symphony and Jazz Orchestras return to Alice Tully Hall on Sunday, October 11 at 7:30 pm to perform an eclectic program of American music anchored by two pieces created with photographs and compositions that complement each other.

TWO FIVE O, Reflections, the world premiere by the hugely successful and in-demand bassist, composer, arranger and educator John Clayton, is performed by the GRAMMY®-nominated TU Studio Orchestra (a combination of the Symphony and Jazz Orchestras) and features the photography of Joseph V. Labolito. "The arts have always been an important part of America’s growth as a nation," Clayton writes in his program note. "The U.S. is that famous 'melting pot' of different cultures, their food, their religions, ways of life and art. I thought about those things as I composed TWO FIVE O, Reflections. [The piece was] written for symphony orchestra, jazz big band and spoken word and features the fabulous photography of Joseph V. Labolito." Clayton uses each of the five movements—titled The Viewfinder, Through The Lens, Auto Focus, Zoom and Wide Angle—to place the audience "behind Mr. Labolito’s camera," and offer different perspectives. Labolito, a Philadelphia native, is known for his extensive and evocative portrayal of the city’s rich tapestry.

The GRAMMY®-nominated TU Symphony Orchestra revisits the other photography-linked work on the program, Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck's Ansel Adams: America, a symphonic tribute saluting Ansel Adams, one of America's most cherished artists; the TU Symphony performed the NY premiere in 2010. The 22-minute, one-movement piece fully integrates sweeping melodies with 102 striking images of or by Adams, who actually trained to be a classical musician, a little-known fact that greatly influenced the work.

Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis joins the orchestra for three lesser-known songs by three iconic American composers: Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin. Copland's "Long Time Ago" comes from a set of five Old American Songs, published in 1950 and premiered the same year by the composer Benjamin Britten on piano and his partner Peter Pears singing. Bernstein's “Take Care of this House” comes from his unsuccessful musical, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is described in the program note as documenting a timely theme: "American presidents’ tepid commitments to establishing fair and equal civil rights for people of every race." Gershwin's “O Land of Mine, America” was the composer's entry for a national anthem competition in 1919. It didn't win, but it channels the optimism of immigrants coming to America and the anticipated opportunities it offered.

The TU Symphony Orchestra opens the program with Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, and the TU Jazz Orchestra, which twice won first-place recognition at the National Collegiate Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center, performs John Clayton's arrangements of two pop songs and a jazz tune, in anticipation of his new composition, which closes out the program.

Full texts for the songs and Clayton's premiere are available HERE. 

For more information on the program and performers, read the full press release HERE.